Everything we’ve seen thus far from director Sam Mendes’ James Bond film Skyfall has been incredibly promising, and just recently the first reviews hit and they were wildly positive. As such, Skyfall looks poised to be a very, very big entry in the long-running Bond franchise, with a great deal of credit due to Mendes. A number of the film’s first reviews noted the similarities between the sensibility of Skyfall’s and that of The Dark Knight Rises director Christopher Nolan.  As it turns out, that wasn’t exactly by accident. During a recent interview, Mendes talked about how much Christopher Nolan’s films—specifically The Dark Knight—influenced his approach to Skyfall.Hit the jump for more.
During an interview with The Playlist, Mendes noted the impact of The Dark Knight on the filmmaking world in general:
"In terms of what [Nolan] achieved, specifically The Dark Knight, the second movie, what it achieved, which is something exceptional. It was a game changer for everybody.â€
Mendes went on to talk about Nolan’s influence on Skyfall:
“What Nolan proved was that you can make a huge movie that is thrilling and entertaining and has a lot to say about the world we live in, even if, in the case with The Dark Knight, it’s not even set in our world… That did help give me the confidence to take this movie in directions that, without The Dark Knight, might not have been possible.â€
The director also mentioned that the darker tone of The Dark Knight proved useful when defending some of the darker moments of Skyfall, as he could point to the Batman Begins sequel’s billion dollar box office take as proof that audiences won’t shy away from some more darker aspects of a blockbuster film.  He made some similar points when talking to Steve and some other reporters during the Skyfall set visit earlier this year, which you can read right here.
It's interesting to note that Nolan himself has previously stated that he'd love to direct a Bond film in the future, but Mendes' Skyfall may have essentially rendered that prospect redundant.
The full conversation is a fascinating read, as Mendes also talks about his initial reluctance to work in the Bond world and how he originally thought Daniel Craig was a terrible choice to play the eponymous character. Head on over to The Playlist to read the entire interview. Skyfall opens on November 9th.
